Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 12 oz. spaghetti

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Mix everything together with your hands just until evenly incorporated. Separate the meat mixture into 4 even pieces, then roll each piece into a ball.
2. Set the meatballs in the slow cooker. Pour the marinara over them, taking care to cover the top of each meatball with sauce. The sauce will reach only about halfway up the meatballs, and that is completely fine; the steam inside the slow cooker will help them cook even though they are not fully covered.
3. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours. Check the centers with an instant read thermometer to confirm the meatballs are at least 160ºF inside. They may be past that point after 3 hours on high, but the thermometer is the surest guide.
4. Toward the end of the cooking time, prepare the spaghetti as directed on the package, then drain it in a colander.
5. Lift the cooked meatballs out of the slow cooker. Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce and toss until coated. Portion the spaghetti onto 4 plates, top each plate with 1 giant meatball, and enjoy.